The Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded for the “discovery of cells in the brain that make up an internal global-positioning system”, Bloomberg reports.

The recipients of the award are John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser.

Their “work in finding cells that create a map of the surrounding space and aid navigation may improve understanding of how these abilities deteriorate in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Their research has also illuminated other processes in the brain such as memory, thinking and planning.”